How big is that storm?
Tornadoes are the most violent storms and among the smallest; hurricanes are the largest and rarely the most violent.
78% of Hurricane Katrina
500 km is bigger than 4 of the 7 references on this page.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| a typical tornado | 0.15 km | 3,333× | |
| the widest tornado recorded | 4.2 km | 119× | El Reno, Oklahoma, 2013 |
| a thunderstorm cell | 15 km | 33.3× | |
| a small hurricane | 200 km | 2.5× | |
| Hurricane Katrina | 640 km | 0.781× | |
| Typhoon Tip | 2,220 km | 0.225× | The largest cyclone ever recorded |
| the Great Red Spot | 16,000 km | 1/32 | On Jupiter, wider than Earth |
Worth knowing
- Typhoon Tip in 1979 was 2 220 km across — it would have covered nearly half the United States.
- Jupiter’s Great Red Spot has been shrinking for 150 years but is still wider than the Earth.
Frequently asked
How big is a hurricane?
Typically 300–600 km across, with a 30–65 km eye. Size and intensity are almost independent: some of the most damaging storms have been compact.
What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?
Only the ocean. The same storm is a hurricane in the Atlantic and north-east Pacific, a typhoon in the north-west Pacific, and a cyclone in the Indian Ocean.